"Wildly" Disappointing in MN

The Excel Energy Center is one a great building. With so many family members and friends of Okposo, Hillen and Jackman, there were plenty of Islanders jerseys to be seen last night. But while the homecoming for the Minnesota boys may have been pleasant, the outcome for the Islanders last night left their coach almost speechless.

"I'm not going to talk to them right now." Gordon glared at MSG's Rob Carlin when he asked him immediately after the game what he said to the team after losing 3 - 2 with only 1:07 left of the third on a bad turnover that left Owen Nolan all alone with Marty Biron.

Nolan, the man drafted the same year that John Tavares was born, was even more surprised than Biron that he was given that gift of a goal by the Islanders. It was his second for the game. Actually, I think the FIRST goal of the game was a gift by Marty Biron too.

According to NHL statistics, the team that scores first has the upper hand in winning the game. It proved true last night as the Wild were the first on the scoreboard at 11:44 in the first on a wrist shot by Nolan for his fifth goal of the season. So the first and the last both belonged to the 37 year old veteran from Belfast.

The Minnesota Wild haven't been doing as well as their sold out crowds would like, but the NY Islanders, who lost their seventh game in that building, gave the crowd of over 18,000 a surprise ending. Jon Sim had tied the game at one with his second goal of the season at 3:07 in the second and Josh Bailey, while on his knees, made it 2 - 1 at the 10:23 mark with a shot that went over Backstrom. Yep, for all intents and purposes, it looked like it was going to be Lucky Seven and the Islanders would win this game.

But this is the NHL and no lead is safe and you don't know who wins until the final buzzer. Bad penalties and bad turnovers plagued the Islanders and while the Penalty Kill is getting way too much practice killing off five on three scenarios, the Power Play isn't doing what it needs to. "We had great chances on the Power Play and didn't bury them." Gordon told Rob in the post game. But the loss boiled down to one thing, "Turnovers. That's all it was."

#NotoriousNateThompson night wasn't as huge a success on Twitter as #MightyMattMoulson night, but it was still interesting considering Nate started things off with a fight with Nathan Smith early in the first period. I'm sure the league will be happy to know Nate's helmet never left his head. Nate ended the night with 12:31 in ice time, one fight, three blocked shots, one Hit and a 56% win ratio in the face off circle.

Tim Jackman and Shane Hnidy decided to get into it late in the second which got the home town crowd even more excited. Jackman may not be the best fighter in the league, but he may be the most intense. By the time it was over, he had Hnidy face down on the ice and looked like he was doing everything in his power not to just keep going.

So for all the press about Tavares and Clutterbuck it seemed to be a non-factor in the game. There were no amazing Tavares moves last night, no brilliant goals. In all honesty, the game was a little on the dull side. Not to say that there weren't bright spots, there were.

I actually noticed Andrew MacDonald this game. Jon Sim has to be recognized for his hard work, no matter how disappointed Islander fans may be in his past performance. As Gordon said last night, Sim is "a guy, if we can get him on a roll, would be a huge asset to the team."

The Hillen and Okposo families shared a luxury suite last night for the game, sadly they didn't get to celebrate a win, but I'm sure they all had a good time anyway. Too bad the boys couldn't stick around as they are off to St. Louis for tonight's match up against the Blues.

No time to sulk over the loss. Time to just come out ready to play. This one is history. Let's just forget it.